It was all new for 2019, and the Toyota Corolla Hatchback offers some extra goodies for 2020.
Android Auto capability joins the Apple CarPlay already on board, a black roof is added to the options list, and there’s a new Nightshade special edition model in the lineup. A SiriusXM All Access trial, previously an available option, is now standard on the SE and XSE trims.
The black roof is available with five specific exterior body colors: Blizzard Pearl, Oxide Bronze, Classic Silver Metallic, Smoked Paprika, and Blue Flame.
Special features of the Nightshade Edition are blacked-out 18-inch alloy wheels, a black shark fin antenna, black spoiler, and black exterior accents including the lower front rocker, headlamp inner frames, door handles, side mirrors and rockers, rear lower spoiler, and exhaust diffusers. All exterior badging is blacked out as well. Inside the car, seats are black fabric.
The Corolla Hatchback Nightshade Edition is based on the SE trim with a CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission) and is available with the exterior colors Super White, Classic Silver Metallic, and Midnight Black Metallic. Its base price is $23,245 including a $955 destination charge.
For 2020, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback adds Android Auto capability to its infotainment system. (Manufacturer photo)
A new cargo space option for the SE eliminates the spare tire and lowers the cargo floor. It has a tire repair kit instead of a spare. This simple change, which adds six cubic feet of cargo capacity, is available on both SE versions: manual transmission and CVT.
The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hatchback has two trim levels, SE and XSE, and both are available with a manual transmission or a CVT. Pricing starts at $21,245 for an SE with a manual transmission, and tops out at $25,295 for an XSE with automatic transmission. There is also a hybrid version, the Corolla Hatchback Hybrid LE, for $24,055. These prices all include the destination charge.
I drove the XSE with an automatic transmission for this review. With its Oxide Bronze exterior and a $500 option package (black roof, black spoiler, black side mirrors), it was a real looker and I admired it all week. So did other people. In one episode I was walking into a convenience store at the same time a guy was walking out, and he said something that sounded like “coronavirus.” I thought it was probably because we were touching the store’s door handles with our bare hands. “What did he just say?” I asked the clerk. “Cool Corolla,” she said.
For more information about the Toyota Corolla Hatchback, including driving impressions and fuel economy ratings, see my review of the 2019 model from Oct. 15, 2018.
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is available with a manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic (CVT). (Manufacturer photo)
2020 TOYOTA COROLLA HATCHBACK XSE
Base price, including destination charge: $25,295
Price as driven: $29,057
Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild, and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.
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